South Africa regrets US pulling out of Paris climate accord

South Africa on Friday joined countries around the world in condemning the US’s withdrawal from a global pact to fight climate change.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday pulled out of the Paris climate accord, angering many of the country’s allies.

“South Africa expresses its profound regret over the decision of the United States of America to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, which reflects the multilateral agreement to keep global temperature increase to well below 2 °C,” South Africa’s department of environmental affairs said in a statement.

“Historically, the US has contributed significantly to global emissions, and therefore has a moral obligation not only to lead in reducing emissions, but to support poorer economies in contributing to the global effort.”

The Paris agreement was adopted 15 years after the US withdrew from the Kyoto protocol – the treaty which commits states to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.